


This is what a brother is

by Glowsquid



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Brotherly Love, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Keith Genuary, Platonic Sheith, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-17 17:43:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17565077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glowsquid/pseuds/Glowsquid
Summary: Keith gets his Garrison letter and can't bear the thought of opening it alone.Good thing Shiro's there.





	This is what a brother is

Shiro gets the call on a hot Saturday afternoon in July. The air conditioning in his and Adam’s apartment was broken, and until it could be fixed, all they could do was strip down to their boxers, open the windows, and plug in the little electric fan they owned to coax a cool breeze or two inside. Shiro was sprawled on their bed, half his brain busy answering some messages from work on his tablet and the other half thinking about how miserable he was. That particular half of his brain was getting progressively stronger as sweat continued to slide down his temples and condense in his armpits. The skin underneath his bracelets felt damp and itchy, and Shiro was tempted to just take them off, but he knew Adam would kill him. Maybe he should give up trying to focus. A cool shower would feel so nice. 

He was about to toss his tablet aside and do just that when it pinged. Someone was trying to video call him. The caller ID said it was Keith. He groaned inwardly, wanting nothing more than the promised relief of cold water cascading over his body but this was Keith, and if he needed him, Shiro wasn’t about to ignore him. He answered the call, sitting up cross-legged on the bed. 

“Shiro! Can I- why are you naked?” 

Oh, right. Shiro glanced self-consciously down at his body. Maybe he should have at least put some pants on before he picked up. “I’m not naked, I have boxers on. And the AC broke, it’s really hot in here. What’s up, bud?”

Keith got over his surprise quickly. “Can I come over?”

“Um, I guess,” Shiro replied, “Why? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Well, no. Kind of? I don’t know! I’m so nervous!” Keith seemed agitated, worrying the pad of his thumb over his fingers with his other hand. “I didn’t want to open it alone, and-”

“Hold on, slow down, Keith. Open what?”

“My Garrison letter! It came just now!” Keith shouted. 

That got Shiro’s attention. Now he was almost as excited as Keith. “What? Are you serious? Congratulations!”

“No, don’t say that yet! I haven’t opened it and I don’t want to get my hopes up. I kind of wanted to open it with you.” His eyes tracked down to his lap and he licked his lips nervously. 

Shiro couldn’t help the surge of melancholy in his chest at Keith’s sudden show of shyness. He knew Keith trusted him, and he was proud to have earned that trust, but someday he hoped Keith would know how much Shiro loved him. That he didn’t need to feel guilty about needing help. 

Then he remembered where those inhibitions came from and had to resist the urge to find the names, addresses, and social security numbers of every person who had ever made Keith feel that way and ruin their lives, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. Keith needed him, and he intended to be there. 

“Of course! Definitely, come over whenever, Adam and I don’t have plans so I’m free all day.” 

Keith smiled again. “Thanks, Shiro. I’ll be there in about an hour.”

Shiro remembered something. “Wait a minute, do you need a ride?”

Keith shook his head. “No, I can walk-”

Shiro didn’t know what Keith was going to say after, but he didn’t care. “Absolutely not, Keith. I’m gonna come pick you up. You’re not gonna walk an hour in that heat.” He clambered off the bed, keeping his tablet so Keith could still see him, glancing around for his pants. 

“You don’t have to-”

“Don’t care. I’m coming to you. No one should be walking an hour in this heat, Keith. You’ll get heat exhaustion.” 

Keith rolled his eyes, but he was blushing a little. “Whatever. Oh, but don’t pull up out front, park at the end of the street, okay?”

Shiro knew from experience that asking why was a bad idea. 

“Okay. See you soon. And, Keith?”

Keith paused, eyes wide, waiting for him to finish.

Shiro put every ounce of confidence he had into his words. “It’s gonna be okay.”  
Keith still looked worried and a little bit desperate, but he nodded. “Thanks, Shiro,” he whispered. 

“My pleasure, buddy. Now get ready, I’ll be there in 15.”

“Okay,” was Keith’s reply before he hung up the call. 

As fast as he could, he struggled into his pants and shirt. He left his bedroom, calling out to Adam has he did.

“I’m going to go get Keith!”

Adam raised his eyes from whatever he was reading on their worn-out loveseat. “What for?”

Shiro couldn’t keep his own excitement out of his voice. “His Garrison letter came. We’re gonna open it together.”

Adam had never quite understood Keith’s attachment to Shiro, or why Shiro was so invested in his well-being, but he looked no less pleased at the news. 

“Tell him congrats for me, love.”

Shiro grabbed his keys off the hook by the door and shoved his shoes onto his feet, not bothering to lace them properly. “Will do. See you later!”

And with that, he was out the door. 

.  
.  
.  
.  
.

“Hey, Shiro.”

Shiro’s soul temporarily left his body. “Jesus Christ, Keith!” he swore, “Where’d you come from?” He hadn’t even seen him approach. It was easy to forget how sneaky Keith could be, whether he was trying or not. 

Keith visibly flinched at the shout, halting suddenly as he was clambering into the shotgun seat. 

_Fuck._

“Sorry, Keith. I didn’t mean to scare you. You okay?”

Keith nodded.

“I’m sorry I yelled, you just surprised me is all.”

Keith resumed situating himself in the seat. “Sorry.” His voice was low and guilty. 

“You don’t have to be sorry, I shouldn’t have zoned out.” He smiled reassuringly at Keith, and after a moment of hesitation, Keith flashed a small grin back. 

“Do you have the letter?”

Keith held up the slightly wrinkled envelope. Sure enough. It was addressed to Keith Kogane in neat type on the front, the official Garrison insignia in the right-hand corner.

Shiro couldn’t help but remember the day he got his own letter. The tumultuous nerves in his belly as he read it for the first time and the joy he felt as he shared the news with his parents and his closest friends. 

Keith didn’t have any of that. No one to call and share the most important news of his life with. No family to celebrate with. 

“Well, shall we?”

Keith took a shaky breath but nodded.

Shiro waited. Keith swallowed hard, still looking at it with apprehension bordering on outright fear. 

“Take your time, Keith.”

Keith looked back at him as if he forgot he was there. Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder and drew an exaggerated breath in and holding it before exhaling long and slow. The boy in the shotgun seat copied him, if a bit jerkier than Shiro had done, but still made no move to open the envelope. 

Keith held it in both hands, staring down at it as if he was afraid it was going to bite him. Finally, he thrust it in Shiro’s face. 

“You do it.”

“Keith-”

“I want you to do it. Read me what it says. It will be better, I think, coming from you.” He trailed off a bit, dipping his head to hide his eyes with his bangs and Shiro’s heart broke just a little. 

He took the envelope. 

“Okay. You sure?”

Keith only nodded again. 

He neatly tore it open and pulled out the letter. He wanted to read it for himself as he read it out loud to Keith, but he couldn’t help it. His eyes flicked down the page. 

He had to fight to keep the smile off his face. 

“Dear Mr. Kogane,” he read. Keith buried his face in his hands. “We thank you for your interest in the Galaxy Garrison. We have reviewed your application and-”

Shiro paused, hoping to draw out the moment a little, but Keith groaned in frustration, even though he made no effort to raise his head from his hands.“Come on, Shiro, what did they say?”

He’d tortured Keith long enough. “And,” he continued, “we are happy to offer you a place in the offical-”

“WHAT?!” Keith sat straight up and gaped at Shiro.

“We are happy to offer you a place in the official cadet roster of 2039.”

“What?” This time it came out in a whisper, a desperate prayer for this to be real, not just a cruel dream. 

“You’re in, Keith.”

Suddenly, the paper was ripped out of his hands. Keith's eyes frantically scanned the paper as he read it once, then skipped back up to the top as he read it again. 

Shiro could see the look in Keith's eyes at the moment it sunk in. He never wanted to forget that look. 

“Holy shit.” 

He didn't have the heart to scold him for his language. 

“Holy shit, Shiro, I got in.” 

“Yeah, Keith. You did it,” Shiro replied gently. 

“I GOT IN!”

“I know!”

Keith was practicality breathless. “I can't believe it.”

Shiro couldn't keep the fondness out of his voice when he said, “I always knew you could.”

Keith seemed frozen in place, rooted to his seat in shock and excitement and mounting joy.

And then he was lunging across the car, wrapping his thin arms around Shiro's neck and holding on for all he was worth, even though his body was still half in his own seat. It was awkward, and a little uncomfortable, but Shiro wouldn’t let go for anything in the world. 

This was the first time, he realized, that Keith had hugged him first. The significance was not lost on him. He would cherish this milestone for a long time coming. 

“Thank you, Shiro,” Keith said, voice cracking with emotion. 

“You only have yourself to thank, Keith. You did this.” 

Keith only clung to him tighter. 

It seemed like a long time before Keith finally pulled away, and he hastily tried to dry his tears before Shiro could see. Shiro did him the courtesy of pretending he didn’t notice. 

“Thank you anyway,” Keith said. “I don't think I could have done it if- if you didn't believe in me.”

Damn that lump in his throat for making it so hard to talk. “I never doubted you, Keith. And I'll _never_ give up on you.” 

There was a small, dreamy smile on Keith's face as he recovered from the emotional rollercoaster he just went through and internalized what just happened. But he pulled himself together.

“I have to go,” Keith croaked out. “Before they notice I’m gone.”

Again, Shiro had to remind himself not to ask why. That would be a sure way of getting Keith to clam back up again. 

“That’s alright. Thank you for calling me, I’m glad we did this together.”

Keith nodded once, then pushed the door open and tumbled out of the car. But before he could leave, Shiro called out after him. 

“I'm so proud of you, Keith. Adam says congratulations as well.”

Keith turned around once and said, “Thanks again, Shiro. Goodbye.” He spoke so softly, Shiro almost missed it. 

Then he took off at a Sprint down the street. Shiro followed him down the street with his eyes as he ran and soon disappeared from sight. 

Shrio sighed, and leaned back in his seat. He didn’t know it was possible to feel so much happiness for one person. 

Maybe this is what having a little brother would feel like. 

The other day Adam told him that he should be proud of how he was changing Keith’s life. And maybe he was. But that was only half of it. 

Keith was changing his.

**Author's Note:**

> Why are they still sending paper mail twenty years in the future? Why was there no mention or discussion of financial aid? Did I think this through? Lmao nah.


End file.
